fly mask making horse miserable?

kerilli

kerilli

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i put a white rambo flymask (came free with Sweetitch Hoody) on my mare yesterday, she's got sweetitch and the rug's brilliant, but she's lost little bits of hair all over her face and under her jaw, and i think it's the midges biting her. the trouble is, she's really miserable in it and i'm not sure she believes she can see properly out of it! has anyone else's horse been made miserable by one?
what else can i do? fly repellent not good enough, obviously.
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thankyou for any replies.
 
My friend has been using global herbs fly off and hasnt needed anything else all summer.Flies even avoid pooh.
 
My gelding has a shires fine mesh mask (they are under £7 on Barnstormers) and a silver Mark Todd mask.

My friend who I share with refuses to put the Mark Todd mask on him as she feels he can't see properly (on the grounds she can't see his eyes). The shires mask however you can see through easily and it just keeps the flies away.

Obviously this is no good if your mare is dead set she can't see through any mask
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!!
 
Ive got a few different fly masks mainly as I buy them off the internet then hold them against my head as if I was wearing it
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and decide he aint having that on as I cant see through it. The ones I do like and can see through are Equilibrium Field relief maxi mask with ears, great visability and premier equine seem good too. I have the Rambo and it doesnt seem to bad but havent used it yet, also had gallop ones but the Equilibrium one is shaped good so it sits off the eyes. Mines about 3 yrs old now and just showing signs of wear.
 
have you tried the Phaser fly gel by leovet? i cannot recommend that stuff enough!!! I have a big prob with my mare and she gets horrendously bitten around her udder and tummy button
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since ive been using it ive noticed her udder and tummy button is not dripping with blood as it used to do with those pesky midges!!!!!
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I love the spray too
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if u spray it on a fly it drops the floor and dies!!!!
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i'd love to no how to make my own version of it to save me £13 a bottle!!!!!!! lol
 
i was nice to my lot and bought them fly masks and while the boys didn't care and merrily went off eating, the 2 mares refused to move and just stood by the gate looking very miserable!

they were good quality masks, nice and structured away from the eyes but the girls were convinced i had blindfolded them and refused to move until i took them off!
 
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My gelding has a shires fine mesh mask

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I've got this one for mine. I hate it when the masks sit on their eyes and the Shires one sits right off their eyes and the fine mesh makes it really easy to see through.
 
My mare and gelding were eaten alive on their bellies - I bought them snuggy SI bodies and sheath/udder covers - expensive and best thing I ever did. They are so comfortable now plus the Snuggies are great for their mild SI and I don't use much fly spray or have to pay someone to spray them for me every morning and afternoon until I get up in the evenings.
 
My mare wont wear a fly mask.

This year she had problems with her eyes so I bought her the cashel fly mask. I thought maybe she didn't like the cheaper ones
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Well it ends up in the field somewhere, she refuses to wear it.

More money down the drain
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katie_and_tonto, she's got sweetitch, so unfortunately fly repellents just aren't strong enough. if just 1 midge gets through it it drives her crackers. not possible to put a fly fringe on without a headcollar, and i won't leave headcollars on in the field.
thanks though.
Lotty, if the cashel one is possible to see through, i'll buy it from you! as long as it has lighter mesh than the one i have, i think my girl would be happier in it.
 
You know I bought Vogue a mask with ears and despite checking it was easy enough to see through, her eyes were open etc she clobbered her eye on the corner of the barn....and ended up with an ulcer.

Tried Shires white one, she bumped her head on one of the trees.....

Put a field safe fringe on with ear net and she whacked her cheek on the gate....

I gave up and got a fly repellent in a salve that I sponge on. I can't remember what it's called will have a look, but you take a really wet sponge and a bit of the salve and sponge it on. She's been fly free.
 
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My gelding has a shires fine mesh mask

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I've got this one for mine. I hate it when the masks sit on their eyes and the Shires one sits right off their eyes and the fine mesh makes it really easy to see through.

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Kerilli

If you are looking for a see through mask this is my mare wearing my boys fine mesh shires mask (in the pic he has his old thick mesh mask on). This was the day after I bought her so she was borrowing his stuff! (Sorry pic is massive)

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Ive cut the mesh eye pieces out of my fly masks and attached a fly fring instead as my old girl has cataracts so did not want to impead her vision any more than necessary, she likes her ears covered so this works really well, it looks a bit strange but does the job!
 
the only one ive had sucess with is the cashel crusader with ears.it is more expensive than most but worth it and also has a detachable nose piece
 
My boy hates all fly masks except the shires one. They are made of a much finer mesh and dont seem to affect his vision at all (have even hack out in it when the flies were horrendous). Plus its made of super soft material so when they rub their heads on you it doesn't feel like sandpaper!!
 
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